The Crucible Essay

In The Crucible the character that displays most significant signs of mob mentality would be Abigail, who is Parris's niece. She displays mob mentality in a scene which is in Act 2; Elizabeth says “The Deputy Governor promise hangin' if they'll not confess, John. The town's gone wild, I think. She speaks of Abigail, and I thought she were a saint, to hear her. Abigail brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel. And folks are brought before

had. Both the
Crucible and 1984 concerns with society, in The Crucible it shows that people were free in its
society, while in 1984, it shows that individual free will was a danger to the party and was
not allowed in its society.
In Conclusion , it is clear that McCarthyism is evident in both the play “The Crucible”
and the novel 1984 although conveyed a bit differently one can find some similarities regarding
McCarthyism in both readings. In both The Crucible and 1984 , it’s

because it was going to be public. It is right that he refused to give the confession to Danforth; he knows he will publish it and people in town would be talking things about him. Indeed, this is also a strong and important theme.
Lastly, in The Crucible, man versus self- internal was also an important theme, and some of them presented in the story were Abigail versus herself, Betty

repent herself. Yet, she kept her word to John Proctor and told the truth. This quote also shows the effect of wanting to fit in when Mary tells Danforth she lied she is also confessing how she fell into the trap opf peer pressure.
In the end of The Crucible, Mary Warren is overcome in fear, anxiety, and guilt as Abigail and the girls scream at the sight of the “bird”. Mary Warren screams at the girls and shortly joins them in the hysterics. She is so caught up in the moment that she loses herself and

a communist, these people would be blacklisted. This meant they were most likely fired from their job and became an outcast. In “The Crucible”, the convicted would be executed unless they decided to confess to their crimes. In conclusion, “The Crucible” and the Red Scare have a few differences that make these events in history unalike.
In many ways, “The Crucible” was written to be a cautionary tale. Miller wrote this play solely to show and compare the Witch Trials and the Red Scare. His main purpose

so he had to come clean about the affair. This showed he’d rather tell the truth than be a liar, and to do what is right. Confessing to his family and friends would have been extremely difficult, and an admirable act. Towards the end of the ‘The Crucible’, Proctor is faced with the decision to either say he is guilty of witchcraft (which he isn’t) to stay alive, or to be honest and proclaim he was innocent, but then be hanged. Proctor was about to sign his name, until he was notified it would be

reader to see that John Proctor is, indeed, a tragic hero because he comes from a high position in society, has a tragic flaw, has a reversal of fortune, and finally an epiphany.
There’s definitely a feeling of catharsis at the end of The Crucible. When John, Martha, and Rebecca died for what they believe in its not fair because they’re paying for everything Danforth, Parris, and Abigail are doing. Due to this injustice the reader feels pity for the characters of Danforth, Parris, and Abigail

Miller wrote ‘The Crucible’ in a chronological order. Time changing
is shown not only through the number of hangings and confessions that
have occurred but also through Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Miller uses
exposition to make past events seem clearer such as the girls dancing
in the forest at the beginning. By reference to past events by the
play’s characters, the audience can create an image in their mind’s
eye of what has happened without the need for flashbacks. For example,
Thomas Putnam’s

country folks, while at the same time employing old-fashioned vocabulary and grammar. The narrative asides are slightly more complex and use regular, standard, 1950s everyday language.
Themes:
Lies and Deceit- Most of the characters in The Crucible are lying if not to other people, then to themselves. Abigail lies about her ability to see spirits, as do the other girls; Proctor is deceitful first for cheating on his wife and then for hiding it; and the judge and lieutenant governor and ministers

The social morals of the town were muted with there a balancing act between right and wrong. Abigail was the hub of all of the turmoil and was the main source of control to which others submitted for fear of being accused.
Additionally, in The Crucible Miller inputs a biblical allusion of the archangel Raphael leading Tobias to save two people who have prayed for their

overpower good judgment. It is important to note the cases in which reputation is given a higher in priority than what is morally right, and we can see that this has negative consequences most of the time.
In the theocratic society in which The Crucible is set, the church and the state are essentially one entity and the

In The Crucible Abigail Williams is Samuel Parris, the minister’s niece. Her and her cousin Betty where the first two accusers. Williams was 11 years old at the time. Everything started when all the girls were at the woods and Abigail was trying to put a spell on Elizabeth Proctor, since her health was already delicate. Her purpose was to keep John Proctor to herself. She had become obsessed with him after their affair and couldn’t seem to get over him. While doing witchcraft in the woods they

putting a rest to the town's madness and thus ends the play. John Proctor was another deeply affected by the extensive hysteria.
In conclusion, the theme on how fear and suspicion can lead to hysteria and destroy public order is evident in The Crucible. Miller depicts how people can become hysterical over nonsensical things and that hysteria can spread to the masses, ruining many people's lives. Hysteria is evident in the play as it was the force behind the plot of the story, and the cause of the

Punishment may come in many forms and degrees. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right punishment to fit the crime, however it is needed to keep a group of people from absolute chaos. In The Crucible, those who are charged of practicing witchcraft and being "seen with the devil" are given a chance to redeem themselves by confessing, even if they are innocent. If the accused refuse to confess, their punishment is death, and they are sentenced

law for it? Truly there is, both in the scripture and the statue-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!” (Scarlet Letter 34-35)
Both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible have quite a few things in common but one that is very important is that they are very gullible people. The Puritans like to jump to conclusion and assume that something is true or maybe untrue. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans very own pastor

oppression. It was only a small, but important, part of the Rwandan Civil War. The Genocide was very bad for the community of Rwanda at the time, in the sense that mass killing and murdering is horrible, which unless you?re a heartless person, is.
The Crucible was written in the 1950?s but it takes place in the 1600?s during the Salem witch trials. It tells the story of John Proctor and Abigail Williams. No, it?s not a love story. It?s a horror story! That?s right, when listening to it being read, one

sin to the village, but by then it’s too late. In contrast Abigail’s character is one that is selfish and only looks to her pleasure. While John is one that will sacrifice his good name to save his wife and family
One of the main themes in The Crucible is appearance vs. reality. This is seen in the setting: the village is supposed to represent civilization and order but instead it represents chaos and ignorance. Mainly, the theme Appearance vs. Reality mostly justifies the characters of the play

Miller says, “I was also drawn into writing The Crucible by the chance it gave me to use a new language” (Miller 4). Miller liked the challenge of writing a historical novel, in an unfamiliar accent as well as his goal of conveying the importance of the time frame and the themes he chose to write about. An example of this language would be at the end of the novel when Elizabeth is telling Hale she cannot save her husbands life, “He have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller 145)

McCarthy encouraged the
citizens of America to ‘tell tales’ on their neighbours or anyone they
suspected of having communist or anti-government connections. The
point of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ was to make an anti-government
statement (the actions of the characters in ‘The Crucible’ closely
mirror those of many Americans at that time) without actually
mentioning the government and running the risk of arrest. This was
especially risky for him as an author because many of the people being

The
author, Arthur Miller, sees these men as evil, but they themselves
apparentlythought they were doing the right thing. The characters who
knowingly do evil are Abigail, the Putnams and at times Parris.
The main character in 'The Crucible' is John Proctor. He has sinned,
by committing lechery with Abigail Williams of seventeen. This goes
against notions of morality and against his own ideas of what his
right, "He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion

It is a serious
drama which will continue to have social and political resonances in
any era. The two plays therefore differ greatly in terms of genre.
Miller’s diction is formal and concise; the dialogue of The Crucible
has a quality that could not easily be achieved in a naturalistic play
of the present time. The characters are given a certain dignity and
distance by quaint turns of phrase and peculiarities of grammar. The
use of Mister as a form of address and 'Goody' as a title suggests

will be forgiven in the next. Because of this, both of the main characters choose a harsh punishment over the lighter consequences. Besides the main characters, there were also others who were punished for their sins with harsh sentences. In The Crucible, Giles suspected his wife of evil doings and ended up being sentenced to death himself. Furthermore, in The Scarlet Letter, Governor Bellingham's sister is eventually hanged because she is suspected of being a witch. These examples show how all

were doing was righteous, but to us, it
clearly was not. It is true, the justice system in the world will
never be perfected, but this is just wrong.
Here we must question the overall righteousness of the acts of the
court in "The Crucible". Is it truly fair that a man who confesses to
witchcraft may live, yet one who denies it should die? What if he is
really not a witch? Then by the court's rules, he should die, for
having nothing to do with witchcraft. This is entirely

wife was not a witch, but Danforth just had every single one arrested. This shows Danforth is self-centered. It also shows in everyday life now pride and power are put before the truth, and the truth will not always prevail.
In the last act of The Crucible, it took place in the jailhouse. The Jailhouse was a really dark, cold, and dirty place. They did not take care of the jailers well at all. Reverend Hale, who earlier on in the play was a witchcraft expert, turned on the court. Hale then was going

Satan. This shows how the “cleanliness” of a person’s name was an important part during the witch hunts, as it was their duty to protect their identity from the rejection of Salem’s society.
There are reasons that Arthur Miller named his play ‘The Crucible’; not only did

told it to [him]... in a room alone – [he has]… no proof for it” (Act II). Deep inside Proctor consciences he holds the truth about the adultery that could be use towards Abigail and girls to confirm they are frauds.
John Proctor’s flaw in The Crucible is to initiate a relationship with Abigail, which will eventually lead to his adulterous affair. Proctor, tired of the false accusations, decided to reveal the sinful confession in court. This statement introduces his other flaw which was confessing

Putnam then asks what lumber it is, and comments on how that tract of wood is in his bounds. As the arguing continues Putnam keeps the conflict alive with a comment such as “You load one oak of mine and you’ll fight to drag it home!” (32). Putnam is also an avid believer of witchcraft. “That is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot, Goody Nurse, a prodigious sign!” (25). The conflict Mr. Putnam has with Mr. Corey, along with the fact that he strongly believes in witchcraft represents his tolerance

But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for goodness in me, and judge me not," (Miller 55). He begs for forgiveness, but knows he has ruined his reputation and relationship with his wife. He then has to admit his sin to the court and will be hanged because he is accused of witchcraft. The town of Salem will now look down upon him and his good name will be ruined. He was looked upon as a well-respected man full of integrity and since he has committed a crime he

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I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” Abigail saw confessing as a sign of relief. To solve her moral problem, Abigail started to blame other girls in town.
Elizabeth Proctor is accused of keeping poppets in her home. The poppet is a doll with voodoo magic used to harm people. It wasn’t a good look for Elizabeth, from the outside looking in because a poppet was found in her home with a needle stuck in the stomach area. Abigail

Parris's desire to maintain his position as the minister of Salem has overpowered his integrity and goodness.
On the contrary, John Proctor believes from the beginning that he had already hit rock bottom. His affair with Abigail has broken Elizabeth’s trust in him, and he knows it for sure. He attempts to make up for the sin he had committed by trying to please Elizabeth, but the guiltiness just gets bigger and his frustration piles up day by day. Through the witch trial, Proctor is eager to prove

Rev. hale went to the Proctor’s home after Elizabeth name was mentioned in the court to ask questions of why they haven’t attended church. This scene reveals that Hale is trying to gather information to figure out who is involved In witchcraft.
What does Proctor tell Hale about why the children were ill? How does he claim to know?
Proctor tells Hale that the children were not ill because of witchcraft , that their sickness had something to do with them trying to stay out of trouble and he claims

Hence, we can see that getting revenge on Elizabeth Proctor was a matter of great personal importance to Abigail. She does so by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft and Danforth believes her and Elizabeth is arrested. When Elizabeth was tried later, much of the evidence against her was Abigail's word against hers, and although she was never convicted or sentenced like the other victims, the mere fact that she, a respected farmer’s wife, could be convicted shows that the law then was being manipulated

Miller saw
these public confessions as parallels with the naming of names at
Salem in 1692.
As a result of amateur dabbling in the super natural by a group of
adolescent girls in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. Many jails were filed
with men and women accused of witchcraft. Twenty people were hanged.
To understand this phenomenon, we have to remember that the
inhabitants of Salem believed in witches and the Devil and believed
the Bile had instructed them that witches

She exclaims to the visiting priest, “There be no mark upon my life, Mr. Hale. I am a covenanted Christian woman.” (2060) Her husband even says, “In her life, sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep—my wife cannot lie. I have paid much to learn it, sir.”(2082) So we know from the start the Goody Proctor is a God fearing woman that would never lie.
Elizabeth would never lie, and Arthur Miller created her this way so that

Just as she threatens to harm the other girls through conjurings and witchcraft if they do not comply to what she says, Abigail later carefully takes the eyes of justice off of herself by accusing others of witchcraft. What begins as a simple act of preservation, quickly turns into an opportunity to achieve power and ultimately win over John Proctor for herself.
Religion is almost used as a weapon in some cases against certain individuals. Using the idea of religion as a weapon also symbolizes

[3] In these facts Miller was able to develop the adulterous relationship between Abigail and Proctor. [4] The adultery changes the vigorous of the situation by complicating the emotional and sociological conditions which made the witchcraft possible.
As the townspeople, run to the rescue of Betty’s screaming, Abigail retreats off to meet John Proctor on the outside. He asks her if this was all her doing with these accusations of witchcraft. She says that we only danced in the woods, she

similar in the Crucible. Originally, though, in the real Salem Witch Trials, this gap was much wider. Miller narrowed it to mirror his own relationship with Marilyn. It has been rumored of Arthur and Marilyn that “his own marriage seemed increasingly cold,” echoing the Proctors conflict in the play. (Bigsby OL)
There are different categories of women in Miller’s plays. Each main female character portrays a different female stereotype. Abigail was the antagonist of the Crucible. She represents

Then, you can't deny that Abby seems to be a bit of a drama queen who loves attention.
Although being whipped and having all the attention of the town where some of the reasons for Abigail to do the things that she did, perhaps the single most important action was that she wanted to take revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail used to be the servant in the Proctor’s household, but as Elizabeth finds out that John Proctor had an occult affair with Abigail, she fired her. Abigail started accusing people

Jack would say he saw the beast and give vivid descriptions and say how it could kill you striking fear into the boys. After he knew they were very scared of it, he would say that he is the only one that could protect them, and naturally they would go to him not knowing what else to do. Jack used many different types of sightings to make sure that the boys were always begging him for protection making his power even greater than it was before. Jack tried to gain all control by calling a meeting

John Proctor enters and Abigail tries to seduce him, revealing her true intentions that she has had an affair with John Proctor and seeks to destroy his marriage further. Abigail admits to him that Betty's illness had naught to do with witchcraft and at the time Proctor laughs the nonsense off, unaware that their childish games will cost him much.
Parris summons Reverend Hale of Beverly to investigate the basis of the strange happenings within Salem and discern whether the devil is at work. Hale

He knows that once he has weakened her defense system she will turn on Proctor and he will have ultimate power and no one against him.
Abigail also gained a tremendous amount of power during the Salem witch trials, which she abused to her will and her benefit. Abigail is vengeful, selfish, manipulative, and a magnificent liar. She claims that the only reason she was dancing in the forest was because Tituba bewitched her. She starts accusing everyone in the town of being witches once she is claimed

Ironically, this very goodness is what much later leads to his transformation, seeing as it helps him to recognize the truly guilty and innocent residing in Salem, to whom others are blinded by their pride and ulterior motives.
In another change of heart, Reverend Hale falls briefly into the hysteria surrounding the witch trials. During a local midwife, Tituba’s trial, Reverend Hale aggressively interrogates her, asking, “When the devil comes to you, does he ever come…with another person? Perhaps

She will always flirt with John whenever Elizabeth was not around. Abigail will talk bad about Elizabeth which shows she has some jealousy toward the couple’s marriage. Abigail would tell John about his wife and say “she is blackening my name in the village; she is a cold sniveling woman”. (Miller 23-24) John tries to end the affair but Abigail will not let him go because she is in love with him.
Abigail knew it was a sin to commit adultery with a married man but she never really cared. One

Furthermore, he is afraid of an outburst of commotion created by a witchcraft
controversy in his household-as he fears of losing his position as the minister. Such an selfish act
of behavior is disruptive to society because such a trait causes major issues in relationships and
how one is negatively contributing to the overall picture in society. Selfish people do not abide
by the concept of utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number of people), they only
choose what is best

A court of law was set up to
deal with this (and other) allegations, but it worsened matters. The
court's only "witnesses" were friends of Betty Paris who, in an
attempt to rid themselves of the blame, (as they had been caught
dancing in the woods, an act condemned by the church), began to name
members of the community at random accusing them of having been seen
with the devil.
Miller uses a number of literary techniques to make the scene a more
powerful one. The

There, she was questioned by Danforth, "You are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and either case you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it. You cannot lightly say you lied, Mary. Do you know that"(216). Mary replied back to Danforth saying, "I cannot lie no more. I am with god, I am with god"(216). This is the beginning of Mary's indecisive lying mess. Mary said she would confess to the truth about Abigail lying, but as the trial progresses, it's only a matter of

Abigail was a cruel person, but was very discreet about it. First, she threatened the other afflicted girls that if they said anything about what happened in the forest, she would kill them. A few of the girls she threatened were Betty Parris, Mercy Lewis, Susanna Walcott, and Mary Warren. She made it clear that if "...[any] of [them breathed] a word, or the edge of a word, about [what happened] [she would] come to [them] in the black of some terrible night and [she] would bring a pointy reckoning

Of course goody Proctor goes to court and is sentenced to die. Marry confesses that the girl were all pretending in order to save themselves, but when Danforth asks Abigal if it is true she says it's a lie and tells Danforth that she will not change her allegations. In fact Abigal pretends to have a vision of proctor attacking her along with Marry as a yellow bird; Marry begs for Abigal to stop, but she proceeds to have these visions; even the girls play along with it and begin to mock Marry and

“Tis hard proof! I find here a poppet Goody Proctor keeps,” Cheever explained to Proctor that Elizabeth have had to be the one to harm Abigail. Knowing that the doll was not made by her she was still judged as a witch and sent to jail. It seems unfair that Cheever's opinion changed Elizabeth's life and may have caused her her life.
A simple Barbados girl hoping to be seen as a normal person despise her culture is shot down when an opinion is thought of as a fact. Abigail's accusation once again